Water-cooling refrigerator.



R. R. RITCH'EY. WATER COOLING REPBIGERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 18, 1912.

Patented Nov.4,1913.

' 2l SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ROY RJRITGHEY, F WICKENBURG, ABZONA.

XVATEE-CGGLING REFB-GERTOR.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patentes Nov. a, rara Application filed December 18, 192. Serial No. 737,527.

To ai] ir/lofa- Z' may concern Be it known that I. flxoy l. Rrronnr, a citizen of the Vnited States, residing at llickenburg, in the. county of Maricopa a1 and useful improvements in later-Cooling Refrigerators, oit' which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in refrigerators and has for its primary object the provision of a refrigerator in which the ice is supported upon a water tav-nk, whereby the contents of the same may be cooled.

The invention also aims to provide a refrigerator so designed as to allow for a free circulation of air through the ice andv food chambers.

Another and more specific object or the invention resides i'n the provision or' a novel forni of drip trough removably secured upon the under side of the water tank.

The invention also aims to generally iinprove household refrigerators and to render vthem more economical, eiiicient and commercially desirable.

With these and other objects in view, as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

F or a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description andaccornpanying drawings7 in which,

Figure l is a front elevation of my improved' refrigerator, the door being open and the front wall partly broken away; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. '1; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional View, partly in elevation; and Fig. l is a horizontal sectional view through thewater tank.

In the following' description and accompanying drawings, similar parts will be referred to and designated. by like reference characters. t j

Referring in detail to the drawings by numerals, l designates generally a refrigerator body or casing having the rear wall 2, bottom 3, end walls 4 and front wall 5. The lower portion of the front wall 5 has been cut away and the opening formed thereby is closed by the door 6. A hinged cover 7 is positioned upon the top of the refrigerator i and is adapted to close the same. The I of the refrigerator is provided with a y metallic lining 8 and a suitable packing f) is State or' Arizona, have invented certain new l interposed between. said lining and the walls ofn the refrigerator.

The interior of the refrigerator l 'is rec tangular in cross section and divided into two compartments by mear ofthe vertical partition platev l0 which terminates in spaced relationship to the bottoni and top of the refrigerator. A water tank formed ot' sheet metal and having its side walls ll soldered or otherwise -.secured to the end walls l2, is removably secured within Vone of the compartments formed by the partition 10. by means of suitable brackets 18. The top 14e of the water tank is centrali;Y apert-ured as shown at 1'5 and provided around -its periphery with the upwardlyy projecting tlange 1G 'which is soldered or otherwise secured to the walls of the tank :adjacent to the upper edges thereof. It will be noted that this construction dispos-esl the top lll of the tank slightly below the top edges thereof so that a block of ice 17 may be retained thereon. A duct or llue 1S hav-- ing the laterally projecting flanges 19 is secured to` the top 14 about the opening formed therein, projects downwardly through the bottom of the water tank, and is secured to the depending flanges 20. Wires 2l are positioned across the flue 1S to preventsinall particles ot ice falling through the same. Since the walls of the tank are spaced from the walls of the refrigerator, a freecirculation of air is permitted. Water is Supplied to the tank by means of the pipe 22 having the funnel 23 formed on its upper end. A standard 24. connected to the funnel 23. and a band 25 slidably mounted upon said standard serve to support an inverted water bottle in such position as to have its contents drain into the Jfunnel. lVater may be withdrawn from the tank by means of the faucet 26 connected to the pipe 27,'which latter communicates with the interior of the water tank.

In order to provide for proper drainage of the melted ice. l provide the sheet metal trough 28 having rearwardly, downwardly and inwardly inclined bottoni walls 28'.. and side walls 29 extended above the front and rear walls 30 and formed with the outwardly projecting flanges 3l. Angular guide ico handle 33 secured to the front wall of the trough provides a means whereby said trough may be easily removed from the refrigerator to permit cleaning. The trough is positioned under the duct 18, receives ythe ice water coming directs the same into the vertical drain pipe 34.

The space under the water tank may be used as a food compartment and I therefore provide the same with a shelf 35. The compartment 36 is also designed to be used for the reception of food and is therefore provided with the shelves 37.

It will be seen from the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,

tank, thence under the partition 10, vupwardly through the foodv chamber 3G and over the top of the partition 10 into theicel chamber. The trough 28 is disposed in an out-of-the-way position, may 'be easily removed to permit. cleaning and is admirablv adapted for the purpose intended.

It is to shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to this exact construct-ion and arrangement of parts but may make such from the meltedl ice, and

that my refrigerator permits a free circulation of air about the ice, downwardly past the water tank, the food chamber arranged under `the water he understood that while. I have immer changes asshalI fall withinthe scope and spirit of the invention.

Having thus descr'bed by invention what I claim is 2- tank mounted within said body, the upper wall of said tank havin an opening lcentrally arranged therein, isposed in a` lane below the upper edges of the side Wa 1s of said tank and forming anice support, upwardly extending flanges engagin the side walls of said tank and secure thereto, formed on ther edges of said upper wall, wires disposed over the openingv 'in said upper wall to from falling t ing entirely hrough' said water tank, an annular outwardly extending ian'ge formed on the upper end of said uct secured to the under surface of said upper -fwall adjacent the opening therein, a downwardly extending annular bottom of said tank and engaging the lower terminal of said duct, brackets formed on the underside ofJ the bottom of said tank, a drip pan' havlng outwardly extending iianges formed on its sidewalls, said iianges tom of said tank, and said drip pzm adapted to be removed from the refrigerator'.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. ROY It. RTTCIIEY. Witnesses:

Mrs. I-I. M. CLsMnNs, H. M. CLEMENS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

ange formed on the` revent vsmall particles of ice y Ierethrough, a duct extendslidablyr engaging the brackets on the bot' 

